Burl Omer Jarrell Obituary (1925

Burl Jarrell, 99, passed away December 12, 2024, at his home, following a short illness. Burl was born November 10, 1925 in Elburn, Illinois, but spent his childhood in the hills of Northwestern Arkansas. There, he and his 5 siblings grew up on small farms lacking running water and electricity. Times were hard and they were taught to forage in the woods for part of their diet. Following years of drought and poor crops Burl and family rode Trailways buses to Oregon to begin a new chapter, arriving in the late nineteen thirties. Eventually, in 1940, Burl, his brother, father and uncle were able to work together to build a home in rural Forest Grove. Burl attended 8 schools before graduating from the eighth grade, including the rural Washington County schools of Springhill, Purdin, Hillside and Watts. Following eighth grade graduation he decided to learn a trade to help the family and found his way to a welding school in Portland. He spent the early years of WWII working in the Portland shipyards, working to build liberty ships and sub chasers. Burl was inducted into the US Army in 1944. Following training in Mississippi and Alabama he served in Ie Shema in the Pacific, and in Korea. He often commented on how gratifying it was to serve in a liberation army in Korea in 1945. In Ie Shema, Burl witnesses the arrival of the Japanese Surrender Delegation arriving August 19, 2945. Following the war, Burl had a variety of jobs including logging and independent mill operation, before beginning a 37 year career with Portland General Electric. The first years at PGE were spent on crews, which sometimes meant working through the nights in nasty weather, including the power restoration following the famed Columbus Day Storm in 1962. Burl hoped he would get enough overtime pay from that work to buy a new pickup, but he learned that taxes take a larger share of the extra pay. Burl married Edith Sahnow of Hillsboro in 1947 and they were married for 77 years before her passing on July 4, 2024. He was also preceded in death by his parents, George and Grace, his sister, June Vanderzanden, and brothers Jack, Charlie and Donald. He is survived by his brother Parnell of Forest Grove, son Wesley and his wife Leslie, of Champaign, Illinois; daughter Marilyn and her friend Tim of Seattle, and Joan Overholser of Forest Grove; Burl and Edith are also survived by five grandchildren and their spouses: Ben of Cedar Mill; Emily of San Diego; Ann Marie Overholser and David Villegas of Forest Grove; Peter and Rosana Overholser of McKinleyville, California; and Curtis and Elizabeth Crawford of Cedar Mill. Burl was blessed by eight great grandchildren; Margot, Camille, Ingrid, Elliot, Irene, Noelle, Joshua, Henry and Zachary who was born the day before his passing. He is also survived by a host of precious nieces, nephews, neighbors and friends. Gifts in Burl's memory can be made to Mt. Olive Lutheran church where he was a member for more than 60 years, or to your local Habitat for Humanity.